By nature, questions about health coverage can be complicated, and the details — procedures, dates, referrals, and prescriptions — can be daunting. But having the inside scoop on what to expect when you call Customer Service can make finding the right answer a lot easier. As a member of the Independence Blue Cross (Independence) Customer Service team (also known as the Member Help Team),...

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year. In fact, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.1
Nearly everyone has had at least some exposure to diabetes, whether it’s a childhood friend who grew up with type 1 diabetes,...

As the end of the year approaches, so too does one of the busiest seasons I know. No, it’s not the holidays, at least not during my working hours. For me, it’s open enrollment season.
During open enrollment your company’s HR department recirculates health insurance benefits information, alerts you to any changes in the plan offerings,...

There have been remarkable milestones in breast cancer prevention, detection, and treatment since National Breast Cancer Awareness month was founded in 1985. The most encouraging is the dramatically improved survival rate! 1
While these results are great reasons to celebrate, they’re also important reasons to double down our efforts as we continue to fight....

Pictured: Gabrielle King, Peter Panageas, Monika Kreidie, Development Associate for TP4C, and Raffaella Bucco. Peter traveled to American Red Cross Eastern Pennsylvania Region, Frankford High School, AstraZeneca Hope Lodge-American Cancer Society and Variety – the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley in celebration of United Way #DaysofCaring.
Do you know where your next meal is coming from?...

When it comes to heart health, one of the best things you can do is to get a cholesterol screening to measure your levels of cholesterol. But like many others, I find reasons to put it off:
I’m pretty healthy, so I probably don’t have high cholesterol. I can’t go that long without eating. I have too much laundry to do....

One revelation in the process of transitioning to parenthood is the fact that the world is filled with invisible, hostile organisms that want to invade your child and cause all manner of grossness.
Common childhood ailments may be routine, but that doesn’t make it less gross the first time you’re faced with a snotty, itchy, goopy-eyed baby who wants to stay attached to mama all day and night....

It’s a crisis that spans ages, genders, backgrounds, and communities. One that has garnered the attention of the nation, made headlines, and impacted the lives of far too many. The opioid epidemic is a serious issue – one that needs all hands on deck to find a solution.
The statistics are alarming: in Philadelphia, there were three times more opioid deaths than homicides in 2016,...

Tony Taliaferro (pictured back row, far left) with fellow Blue Crew volunteers at the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge for United Way Days of Caring 2016
When you ask Tony Taliaferro why he volunteers, the answer is simple: “Because people need help.”
After 25 years with Independence Blue Cross (IBX) and ten years serving the community with the Blue Crew,...

Are there wedding bells in your future? Congratulations! You probably have a lot on your mind. While you are busy tackling the final to-dos and rehearsing the I dos, try and find some time to take a good look at the status of your health insurance as a couple.
Getting married is considered a “qualifying life event.” In health insurance terms,...